The members of Samooga Needhi Katchi (Social Justice Party), on Monday, staged a protest demanding cancellation of the agreement signed between the Coimbatore Corporation and the Suez India Private Limited for the execution of the 24x7 water supply distribution improvement project. They filed a petition to the Collector requesting the same.
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“Works are planned in wards 78 and 79 in the city. We appeal to the Collector to leave the pipes as they are. Removal of existing pipelines inconveniences the public and is also a waste of resources, ” N. Panneerselavm, party leader, urged.
The Corporation signed a deal with the company in January 2018 to upgrade, operate and maintain the existing water supply system in Coimbatore City into a 24x7 water supply system on a Build, Transfer and Operate (BTO) basis. As per the contract, the company must complete the work to relay all the drinking water pipelines in the old city area – 60 wards – by 2023.
Protests by several political parties against handing over the water distribution rights to the French company for €400 million (₹2,972 crore then) have been ongoing since then.
Collector G.S Sameeran on Monday received 354 petitions at the weekly grievances redress meeting — 75 seeking free housing, 51 for patta, 18 for employment and 210 for other reasons like pension, scholarship, corrected or new family card, etc.